food/drink
THE GOWER HOTEL *****
11 Church Lane, Bishopston, Swansea.
01792 234111/ www.thegowerhotel.co.uk
Perfectly located in the heart of The Gower, this delightful boutique hotel has recently
been taken over and now being run by a local Welsh family. The Gower Hotel is minutes
away from Oxwich Bay and a stone’s throw away from Caswell and Langland.
We stayed overnight in the accommodation at the back of the hotel that allows dogs,
they can sit in the conservatory if you want to eat in there, or if well-behaved
can stay in the room while you eat. The standard is excellent, the decor quirky
and fun; Lyn and her family have made The Gower into a ‘home from home’ with
personalised little touches throughout.
The weekend we stayed we were lucky enough to try the chef’s Celebrating Wales
Menu. The five-course menu included canapés, rissole, Welsh rarebit, cockle
popcorn, cawl with lamb and root vegetables, sea bass with laverbread, rosti and
local shellfish, Welsh beef, faggots, fondant potatoes and roasted vegetables. This
was followed by bara brith with Penderyn whiskey ice cream, plus a couple of bottles
of Sancerre – beautiful.
The food was exquisite and the whole experience was a mini holiday in a couple
of days. If ever you are considering a break not too far away I can absolutely
recommend The Gower, whether you have a dog or not you will be equally
welcomed. Ollie (our spoilt dog) had a brilliant time, they also provide food and
treats (for pets) and wellies and coats (for humans, obviously). Every little detail
is well thought out and makes your stay special; with some fabulous events over
Christmas and the New Year, it would be a perfect getaway for the holidays.
ANTONIA LEVAY
ZI’S CAFE ****
pic: ELSIE HUI
94 Woodville Rd, Cathays, Cardiff.
029 2021 6294 / www.facebook.com/ziscafe
As a former student in Cardiff I am no stranger to Woodville Road. The street isn’t
often used by the non-students of the city but it is certainly worth a wonder for a
few foodie gems, the crown of which is Chinese restaurant Zi’s Cafe.
We first decided to wander into Zi’s doors after seeing the small restaurant
constantly full of people. The ‘cafe’ title is apt in that this tiny place only holds
four tables and a few window benches, but the food is much more than sweets and
bubble tea.
The friendly, family run place (this isn’t just a clichéd phrases, on more than one
occasion the owners charming very young son wanders around the cafe – taking
everything in) has a large menu that includes everything you would expect from
a Chinese as well as a few more interesting dishes (roast duck in sweet and sour
plum sauce and squid in chilli are just a few tasty examples).
The point of Zi’s, however, isn’t the fancy menu choices but just that they do each
dish so well. The double cooked pork is a dish we have order again and again, and
it certainly doesn’t disappoint. The same goes for the Singapore fried noodles and
any of the fish dishes. We’ve been back more times than we can count, and every
time we take someone new they love it just as much!
If you want to get the most out of Zi’s Cafe make sure to get a good variety of
dishes (any friends who are likely to just order fried rice and some prawn crackers
should be left at home), this means the price isn’t the cheapest around but is
certainly the best for what you get.
Open in the afternoons as well as the evenings Zi’s is a great place for a big
celebratory meal, or a delicious lunch. HEATHER ARNOLD
LA BODEGA *****
pic: TOOLMANTIM
BUZZ 36
15 St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 1823 / www.labodegacardiff.co.uk
Tapas bars are rarely any good unless they are opened by (a) someone Spanish
and (b) someone who understands what tapas is. Thankfully La Bodega has both
and is miles above the chain affairs that we get subjected to.
The front area of the restaurant has high stools on wine casks and a long bar,
with a more relaxed seating area at the back with an open view to the kitchen. To
start we ignored the main dishes on offer, which were mainly fish, steak, and pork,
and went straight for an assortment of tapas. The complimentary bread tasted
homemade, ideal for dipping in the various sauces.
Our feast arrived in the form of: chorizo a la Rioja (chorizo cooked in red wine),
croquetas de jamon (classic Spanish croquettes), pulpo a la gallega (octopus with
potatoes and paprika), desearia, las nuevas patatas bravas alioli (new potatoes
with a spicy tomato sauce), montadito de cerdo al asturiana (fillet of pork on
bread with olive oil) and gambas pil pil (prawns cooked in olive oil and chillies).
Ooh, I almost forgot the dessert, a shared portion of cuajada con miel (cottage
cheese with honey): absolutely gorgeous.
The octopus with potatoes and paprika were an unexpected highlight, rich and
tasty, with a smokey flavour. Very spicy and lots of garlic, which is to be expected
and was authentic, so don’t be surprised.
A bottle of Rioja, Bodegas Lan Crianza, was a perfect accompaniment to our
choices. La Bodega is slightly more expensive than other local tapas bars but
this was by far the best tapas experience I’ve had in Wales by a long way.
ANTONIA LEVAY